Disillusioned
by The Dreaming Moon
Summary: When Katara seeks comfort in the wrong places, she pushes away Aang, who is now disillusioned by the war. Modern AU with Kataangst.
1. Can't we just walk?

When Katara seeks comfort in the wrong places, she pushes away Aang, who is now disillusioned by the war. Modern AU.

I know this is a bit short, but it's going to span quite a few chapters. I've intentionally left some of the backstory out, part because i'm still deciding parts of it.

Either way, please Review. I really appreciate all constructive criticism, and if i get enough reviews i'll probably have the next chapter out sooner.

* * *

"I just don't see what you see in him…" he said.

Katara smiled, though she was a little annoyed. They'd had this conversation already. She sighed and turned to face him. "That's 'cause you aren't his girlfriend, Aang." Katara replied with a smirk. She could see the airbender's scowl, which was an unusual expression for the monk. He had changed so much since the war. They all had, of course, but Aang the most. Katara found it hard to believe that the person standing before her left for war a cheerful boy clad in monk robes. He was now a sullen, young man wearing the slim fitting jeans, converse, and hoodie someone would expect on anyone but the Avatar. Before he could begin again, Katara decided to try to change the subject.

"Can we just enjoy the walk?" she said as she turned her back to him and started walking down the beach again. "The stars are out, the moon is bright, and the war is over. Can't I just have my smiling monk back? I haven't seen you smile since you got back." Her only response was a scoff, though she heard Aang's feet shuffling on the ground, letting her know he was walking again. She knew that was all she was going to get from him, but it was better than nothing.

Katara had noticed that Aang had been rather gloomy since he got back two months ago, and it was hard for her to see her best friend like this. She was determined to cheer him up though, so she had brought them here. The young waterbender plopped to the ground, patting the sand next to her as she lay on her back, looking at the stars in the sky. She waited until Aang sat down beside her before she spoke.

"Doesn't this remind you of the old days?" she said with a nostalgic sigh. Neither of them were old, but they both knew what she was talking about. Katara looked over at Aang to see if he had heard her. He was sitting on his rear, legs bent up, his arms crossed and supported by his knees. Though his chin was rested in his arms, Katara could see he had a distant look in his eyes as he furrowed his eyebrows, so she was sure he had heard and was just thinking of what to say.

After what seemed like forever, Aang finally spoke. "Things were so much simpler back then.," he said, though his arms muffled his voice. "It used to be "master all four elements, then stop Ozai". We thought that'd be the end of it. _I_ thought that'd be the end of it…" His voice trailed off as a shiver ran through him.

Katara didn't know what to say, so she just sat up and rubbed his back. She felt him stiffen, and then relax. "Aang…" she said, still at a loss for words, but hoping something would come to her. Before she could think of something though, Aang started speaking again.

"Kids shouldn't go to war, Katara. Never. Not even the Avatar." He said, a sorrowful tone to his voice. Katara shuddered at the sound of his voice. "Was it that bad?" was all she could think of to say. The look he gave her as he turned to face her made her immediately regret her words. "I mean… it's just that…. We did sneak around the world and fight for our lives for 6 months… how was this any different?" She said, hoping she wasn't digging her hole deeper.

Aang slumped his head back into his arms, but responded faster than he had before. "We weren't sneaking around Katara. I wasn't learning how to waterbend or earthbend or firebend. I was learning to field strip an army rifle, clean it, re assemble it, and have it loaded within 3 minutes. It wasn't like we could just knock them back anymore. We weren't trying to escape. We were trying to…stop them from hurting more people." The pause in his sentence didn't escape Katara. Again, before she could think of something comforting to say, he started again.

"You know, when we were just kids running around, trying to get me ready to face Ozai, I couldn't help but think it was exciting at times. I may not have wanted that much responsibility as a kid, but it was fun. You found me in that iceberg and we went around the world together having adventures." Even though he said everything with a melancholy tone, Katara realized this was the happiest he'd sounded since he'd come back. "It wasn't like that Katara," he continued, "it wasn't an adventure… Remember the siege at the north pole?" Katara nodded, remembering the battle. "Everything seemed hopeless. There were so many…" Aang interrupted her before she could continue.

"Do you remember what I said after the first day?" Katara nodded again, "You said that you were just one kid." She looked away, feeling her cheeks burn with shame as she slowly realized what Aang was getting at.

"It was like that, except not one day. It was 4 years, Katara. 4 years of being the one kid the battle was hinged on. They saw me as an asset on the battlefield." Katara felt there was more to it than that, but let him keep talking. This had been the most he'd said at all since he'd come back, let alone about the war.

Aang suddenly turned to face her, a sad look in his eyes. "And it wasn't just the battles Katara. It was being away from everybody. Away from you… and I'll never forgive myself for that. I should've been there for you. I know these last few months have been hard for you." It was Aang's turn to look away in shame, and he buried his chin in his arms again.

Katara just looked at the ground and started dragging her fingers through the sand. She had known that it must've been hard, but she'd never imagined… She had started out trying to find out what was bothering him. Ironic that what was bothering her was part of it. The young woman smiled up at her friend and tried to comfort him. "You shouldn't feel bad for that. You were in a different country in the middle of a war. I didn't expect you to drop everything and come running just to make me feel better. Besides, I've had help from…." She immediately regretted her words, and saw that another scowl was spreading across Aang's face. They were back where they'd started.

"From Jet", he said, completing her sentence. Katara almost winced at the venom in his voice. She wondered if part of his distaste for her boyfriend was because he had been here when Aang wasn't. Not that she thought of it like that, but she wouldn't be surprised if Aang did. "I know you don't like Jet…" She started, but Aang didn't let her finish. "Don't like him? Katara, he's a dirt bag. What do you see in him?" She could feel her temper rising, but before she could get it under control, Aang kept going. "He's shallow, close-minded, and he's so god damned arrogant!" Katara had never heard him speak that harshly, but she wasn't just going to let this slide.

"Look, Aang, I know you don't like Jet, but try and understand. I know he's rough around the edges, but to me, he's sweet, and kind, and gentle," She said in Jet's defense, "and it's not just that… he was there for me when I needed someone. Jet cares about me, Aang." Katara hoped he'd accept that as an answer, but she could tell that wasn't the end of it. "Do you really believe that Katara? Are you really that naïve?" he said, more and more frustration seeping into his voice. "I've seen him, Katara. He doesn't give a shit about you."

Katara jumped up from the sand and stood over the still seated airbender. "You know what Aang? I've had enough of you attacking Jet! I know you would've been there for me, but the fact of the matter is that Jet _was_ there for me!" She yelled, jabbing her finger at him. Aang jumped up from the sand, an angry expression on his face. "Oh, he was there for you, was he?" He yelled back. Katara realized this had been the first time he'd ever yelled at her, but that didn't make her back down.

"You don't know what it was like! You don't know how I felt, how I _feel_!" She screamed at him. She spun on her heel to hide her tears, and she could already feel her voice falter before she spoke. "It was s-so hard… but Jet could understand. Jet knows what it's like to lose your parents. Something _you'll_ never understand because monks raised you! You never met your parents! You don't know what it's like to lose someone you love!" She screamed, shaking with rage as the words left her mouth. She spun around to continue her assault, but stopped.

Aang was gone.


	2. The Note

I know this is really short, but i'll have the next chapter up later today. hope you all like it.

REVIEW!

* * *

Katara walked up to the front door and turned the knob. It wasn't locked as usual, so she just pushed it open and went inside. "Hey, it's me." She called out, though no one replied. She wasn't all that surprised though, and started walking through the house.

She felt terrible about the night before, but was still angry with Aang. Why Aang was so resentful was beyond her. A scowl spread across her face as she remembered the fight they'd had. They'd argued about Jet a few times since he had returned, but never like that. That's why she had come here.

Finally turning the last corner, Katara entered Aang's studio room, where he spent most of his time these days. She swept her eyes across the room, taking in the art plastered over the walls. Most of it was abstract art, but it all had a macabre quality to it. She decided to announce her presence in case she startled him.

"Aang, we need to talk." She said as she completed her visual sweep of the room. Her eyes came to rest on the chair where he was usually playing guitar. However, instead of seeing the back of his bald head and tattoo, she saw a note left by the empty chair and guitar stand.

She walked over to it, slowly picking it up and unfolding it. As the young woman began to read it, she could feel her heart breaking into a thousand pieces. Even after she had finished, and felt it drop from her numb hands, she stood there, shaking as tears streamed down her face.


	3. Mr Brightside

Two chapters in one day! i'm really excited about all the positive feed back, and i really appreciate all the reviews. Unfortunately, i'm a little busier in the next few days, so i might only get one more chapter up, though i'll try and work on it every day. hope you all enjoy, and keep commenting!

* * *

As he silently snapped his glider open and took off from the beach, Aang could feel his entire body course with a rage he had never known before. It was like every beat of his heart pushed more and more anger into his blood, leaving him dripping with the emotion. He couldn't believe the things he'd just heard, especially from Katara. A few years back and he might have been able to calm down and forgive her, but he wasn't the same person he was then. He didn't even call himself a monk anymore.

Gliding through the sky, it slowly dawned on the airbender that he wasn't too sure where he was going, or if there was anywhere he _wanted_ to go. He veered his glider off to the left and began heading home. He felt his anger slowly leaving his body, as if he had exhausted himself of the emotion. While that offered some relief, it left in its place a pain that Aang had become all too familiar with, and his face contorted in an expression of agony.

Upon spotting his house, Aang put his glider into a gradual dive and deftly landed in front of his doorway. He opened the door and walked into his studio. It was quickly becoming his place of solace. As he slumped into the chair, he began to feel all the emotions and memories he'd kept bottled inside himself bubbling over.

Aang felt the sorrow he'd known for so long, felt the pain of having to leave his friends behind for war, and felt his lips on hers. He felt the rifle kicking in his shoulder, felt warm blood splash on his face, and he could almost feel the relief he'd felt when the war ended. But the last thing Aang felt was his world crashing down around him as he walked into the airport terminal, seeing his friends, seeing _his_ arm around _her _waist as they waved him over. He felt the bitterness begin to seep into his face, began to taste it on his tongue, as if he was there at the airport again.

The young man opened his eyes and realized two things. First of all, he couldn't stay here. He quickly packed a few pairs of clothes and some of the money he had into a duffel bag, and stuffed his precious Maton MS2000 electric guitar into its travel case and left them by the door. The second thing he realized was that he wanted to do something he'd never thought he'd want.

He wanted to hurt Katara.

He wanted her to realize how ignorant she had been last night. He wanted her to know loss like he knew it. He wanted her to know how he felt.

Aang sat down at his desk and began writing out his note. When he finished, colour was starting to return to the sky. It had taken him a long time, but he had aimed every single word at Katara's precious heart. He neatly folded it in three, and left it on the chair where he knew she'd come looking for him.

As Aang shouldered his possessions and left the front door, he realized he had no idea where he was going. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his mp3 player, placing the buds in his ears and setting the songs to shuffle. He smiled as Mr. Brightside by The Killers came on, the lyrics taking on a whole new meaning to him.

Aang started walking down the street, wondering if this was how normal teenagers felt.


	4. You're right

Well, the 4th chapter is finally here. Sorry I took so long to put it up, i was being real angsty about the content of the note... on that topic, a giant thank you out to my friends Thomas and Mason for reassuring me it wasn't weak or anything. Also, Mason has been proof reading this, making sure I don't make an ass of myself on the internets. FANKS MASON!!!

Anyways, I know they've been short, but i'm trying to stagger it. I don't want it all to come out in big long bursts. I want things to make sense as more and more is revealed. Still, the next chapter will be longer, i promise! Also, leave comments each chapter. When i know the people following it are done, i'll release the next one faster.

Finally, I'll take a short time to quickly explain something that's not really obvious about this fan fiction. I'm writing this story using music as a huge inspiration, and starting with this chapter, I'm sneaking in little musical references. This entire story was inspired by a Versus song called I Love the WB. It'll come into play later on. Anyways, if you care enough to find the references, i'll give you a sneak peak of upcoming chapters. The reference in this chapter will be revealed in later chapters, but if you spot it and point it out to me before then, i'll give you a sneak peak of what it means. Hint: It's a pretty big part of the letter.

now, without anymore of me boring you with my weird take on writing, here's the next chapter.

* * *

As her eyes swept across the page, Katara wasn't entirely sure what the letter meant at first.

_Katara,_

_You're right. I don't know loss. I don't know what it's like to lose someone. And I probably never will. _

Before continuing, she couldn't help but feel a certain satisfaction. But as she continued to read, all feelings of victory quickly left her as the gravity of those first words hit her.

_I know what it's like to wake up, alone, in a strange world. I know what it's like to have the simple reality that your entire people have been slaughtered dawn on you, as you find the remains of the man you knew as your father. I know that gut wrenching, desperate feeling._

Katara's eyes widened as she remembered the words she'd screamed at Aang last night. She felt her heart sink as she realized how thoughtless she'd been, but kept reading the note, despite how painful it was becoming. The next phrase brought back memories she'd kept buried for quite some time.

_I know what it's like to leave on an airplane to fight a war I didn't want any part of, not entirely sure how to feel, because when I kissed the girl I love, she told me she was confused. _

Her cheeks burned and her heart crumbled as the memories of that day came flooding back to her. They were all waiting for Aang's flight to arrive to take him to the war. He'd gone outside for some time to think, and she'd gone to comfort him. He'd said he might never see her again. He'd kissed her… How could she forget that had happened? Was she so wrapped up in her own loss to realize how insensitive she had been to Aang? What it must have been like to walk off the plane to see her with Jet…

She gathered herself and decided to finish the letter before she fell apart.

_You're right Katara. I don't know loss. I know something else entirely.  
_

_Congratulations  
__Your smiling monk is dead  
__And you killed him._

_Without Mythologies,  
__Aang_


	5. He'll be back before you know it

Hey, sorry it took so long for the next chapter. I've been pretty busy with work, and I had a fairly big plot change to work around, which took me a couple days to figure out in my head before I actually started writing. Basically I've added a chapter before what I originally had in mind. Still, I promise to make it up to you by writing the rest of them faster. I've got most of that laid out in my mind. Maybe even some drawings? Well, I know i'm going to do some drawings, it's only a matter of when I have access to a scanner...

Anyways, I want to thank arizony for all his insight and the idea he gave me that I HAD to add (not wanted, had to.) And no matter what you ship, or if you ship at all, you need to check out his story "Through his eyes". It's great. I don't think i can summarize it more clearly.

* * *

Katara stared numbly out the window of her classroom. She may have mastered waterbending and helped the Avatar defeat the Firelord, but her father had insisted she have a formal education before he left for war again. The only kind of education you could get in the water tribes were cultural customs, traditions, and waterbending, so it was understandable. She had started late though, so even though she was 19, she was still more than a year from completing high school. Still, she couldn't help but not care about whatever her teacher was droning on about at the moment. Katara sighed as she continued to think about the note.

She had collapsed in Aang's studio, falling in and out of consciousness through fits of sobs, until she had finally pulled herself together enough to make the walk home. Sokka had almost yelled at her for getting home at 4 in the morning and not telling him where she was, but when he saw her he'd just held her as she broke down again. The last thing she remembered before waking up in her bed was crying in his arms. Katara had thought about not going to school the next day, but she knew that the disappearance of the Avatar (Even in his misery, Aang was more than happy to act like a normal kid, and had joined her high school since he returned) and his waterbending master in one weekend would create a storm of rumors. Besides, she would see Jet at school...

The bell rang, just as she thought she couldn't take anymore. Katara grabbed her books and began weaving her way through the hallways to her locker. She finally reached it, and clumsily shoved her books into her usually immaculate locker. As she made her way outside, she spotted Jet's gang. They were hanging around the shade of the tree they usually hung out by, and it was clear that all of them gravitated around the one figure leaning against the tree's trunk.

As Katara approached them, Jet stood up and several of his "thugs" (as Aang had so lovingly called them...) moved to the side to let her through. Katara just opened up her arms, waiting for Jet to come to her. He gave a look to his friends, and as they began to walk away, he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "What's wrong, baby?" he said as he rested his nose on her forehead, breathing in her scent. She just hugged him back, allowing herself a moment of comfort.

Jet kissed her forehead, and pulled his head back, looking at her with concern. Katara rested her head on his chest, taking in a deep breath. "It's Aang." she said. She felt Jet stiffen as she said the airbender's name. Jet didn't like Aang much either. "What'd that stupid kid do this time?" he asked her, an angry expression on his face. "Jet... please, I don't need more fighting right now," she moaned into his chest, "I just need someone to listen." When he didn't say anything else, she began talking again.

"We...had a fight two nights ago." She didn't need to tell Jet what about. "I said some things I shouldn't have, and now he's gone, and I don't know where he is, or how to apologize, and he left this awful note, and I feel like such an awful person, and..." the words just kept pouring out of her until her sobs and halting breaths made her stop. Jet just held her and let her cry, trying to comfort her. Katara didn't know what she'd do without Jet. He was always there when she needed someone to just hold her.

"Don't worry, babe, I'm sure he just went to visit the old air temples. Didn't you say he left Appa with that Guru guy when he left? He's probably just going to visit." Jet said, hoping to cheer her up. Katara just shook her head against his chest. "Yeah, he left Appa there, but he didn't take his glider. There's no way he could get up to the temple without it." She didn't mean to shoot him down like that, but it was true. Still, it was nice that Jet was trying. "Well, what did the note say? Anything significant stand out, like a clue? I mean, I know it's _all_ significant, but anything in particular, you know?" he said, trying another approach. He was curious too now.

Katara shook her head against his chest again. Not because he was wrong, but because it was something only _she_ would recognize. She resolved to figure out what the last line of the note meant on her own time. Maybe Jet was right, and there was a clue.

"Well, I'm sure he won't be gone long, babe. He'll be back before you know it. He has to come home eventually, doesn't he?" He said with his usual charm. Whenever he spoke with that much confidence, Katara couldn't help but feel like he was right. The bell rang again, and she finally let go of him, waving bye as they headed back to their lockers. Katara grabbed her books feeling much better than she had when she'd put them there. Jet was right after all, Aang had to come home eventually.

Katara forgot that Aang was a nomad.

* * *

Ok, I know I said i'd write a long one next, but like i said, i added a chapter. This was also in response to several people asking for some Jet, and it did make sense to have the relationship finally appear instead of be referenced so many times. Anyways, not kidding, no changes are coming up, the next chapter will be longer than this. Sorry!

P.S I just remembered I have a couple friends who have scanners, so I'll use theirs for the drawing/drawings i'm going to do for this. They won't be direct illustrations, but i hope you like 'em once they're done. REVIEW! (and yes, i know they've been short, but would you rather no have anything or a lot of crappy watered down stuff? still, i understand where you're coming from. )


	6. Loose Cannon

6th chapter finally here! sorry it took so long, i wasn't able to log in for a day, and then i couldn't publish anything.

Anyways, finally wrote a long chapter like some of you were requesting, and i hope you like it. I know have the genres down as hurt/comfort and romance, but this is crucial to the plot, so i hope you don't mind an action oriented chapter. Another big thank you to my friend Anson for staying up with me and proof reading this at one in the morning (TWICE!) and helping me write the second half.

Hope you all enjoy, R&R, and i'll have the next chapter up soon enough.

also, i know i said i'd post some drawings (i have done one) but my friend's scanner was busted so it'll come later. also, does anyone know how to upload images to your profile or something like that?

* * *

His feet pounding underneath him, Aang took in a deep breath as his sprint brought him closer to the city wall. Once he was close enough, he slid into a crouch and punched two streams of air into the ground, sending him soaring over the obstacle. As he cleared the wall, he was greeted by a view of chaos. Anti-aircraft fire cut through the night sky, signal flares created temporary daylight, tracer rounds could be seen flying around the city, and fires burned uncontrollably. It all combined into a disorganized fireworks display over the desert city.

Aang brought his attention back to the ground screaming up to him, and hit the ground rolling, transferring the momentum back into a mad sprint for the closest building. Before his dash was complete, an unseen soldier began firing at him, and dust exploded from the ground next to the airbender. Not wanting to take any chances, Aang smashed his fist into the ground, raising a wall of earth between him and the direction of fire. He could still hear rounds smashing into the rock barrier.

Finally reaching the building, the young soldier took a minute to catch his breath. Checking his watch, he realized he only had 3 more minutes to reach the rendez-vous. He readied himself, spun around the corner of the building and began another sprint down the street. Only random pot shots bothered him until halfway down the street, when a squad of fire nation rebels walked around a corner into the street Aang was running down.

Before they were able to attack, Aang reacted. He immediately slid into an airbending stance, and shot his left palm out and spun it in a circle, creating a vortex in front of him. As the rebels fired their first shots and fireballs, the attacks were pulled away from Aang by the current of air. Again, not giving them a chance to get their bearings, Aang punched his right fist through the vortex, sending the wind tunnel spiraling towards the rebels. Before they could get out of the way, the rebels were slammed into the building behind them.

Confident that they wouldn't be getting up anytime soon, Aang resumed his trek towards the end of the street. After another tense minute, he reached the building where he was supposed to meet the rest of his unit. He stomped his foot on the ground, bringing a section of the earth kingdom building down, to find four rifles pointed at him. He immediately raised his arms, yelling "It's me, don't shoot!"

One soldier, clearly the one in charge, lowered his rifle. "Stand down, men. It's only the Avatar," he said with a grin. As his men followed suit, they let Aang enter the room, and reseal the wall behind him. "Good to see you too, Commander. Sorry about that, should've let you guys know it was me first," the young man said. The older man just slapped him across the back and led him to the other side of the building.

Once they reached the the other side, Aang could see the rest of the soldiers in the unit around the room. Men were bandaging wounds; others were passing around ammo and water canteens, while a few kept watch out the windows. The men looked up when they realized the Avatar was in the room with them. They all stopped what they were doing, and just stared at him. The weary look in their eyes made Aang shudder. He could tell they all just wanted this over with, and they expected him to do it. Not sure what to do, the young man gave the commander a helpless look. The old man just looked back. "What can I say, Aang? You give them hope." He'd heard that before.

Instead of fretting over his uncertainty of how to inspire the men, he went straight to the point. "What's the situation, Commander?" The older man walked over to the doorway and crouched down beside it, checking his rifle's ammunition. "We're being pinned down by Yu Yan Snipers, and I need you to feel them out with your earth bending. We'll take them out, and then we can advance further into the city. After the city, we'll make our way into the heart of the desert, where intel suggests the rebellion is making its last stand." Aang just gave him another helpless look.

The commander understood what it meant. "Look, Aang, I'm sorry I have to ask this of you, but all our earth benders have been killed or wounded. You're our last option. I'll do what I can to take them alive, but you know how it is." Aang sighed in defeat, nodding to let the commander know he'd do it.

Standing up, he dropped into an earthbending stance, and closing his eyes, slammed his foot into the ground. He felt the vibrations travel out across the city square the building faced, "saw" where the adjacent buildings were, where the bodies littered the street. As the wave of "sight" spread out, Aang could feel a lone rebel lying out in the street. He was obviously slightly wounded, and playing dead to avoid being captured. The monk decided not to tell the commander about him, as he had heard of the inhumane things that happened in the P.O.W camps. The vibrations finally reached the furthest buildings in the square, one that was across from their current location and about 500 meters away. He could "see" them moving around the buildings across from their current location.

He opened his eyes, and got a visual look of the square, though the dark made it impossible to see the snipers. "They're in the furthest building, mostly in the top floors. It's far, so you'd better make your way through the buildings to the sides and flank them." The commander nodded his approval of the plan, and addressed his men. "You heard the Avatar, men. We're going to move in two groups. I'll take Alpha to the left, and Sergeant, you take Bravo to the right. Charlie, you cover us from here, alright? Aang, you be ready to help whoever runs into too much trouble. Everyone, check your weapons, and grab some ammo. Stack up on me when you're ready, got it?" The nods that went around the room were all he needed to know he had his men's support.

After a minute, the men were in position, awaiting their commander's signal. They were obviously nervous. Aang could see the uncertainty in their eyes. Aang couldn't see anymore than they could in the dark, but he could feel where everything was. The men could only trust him, a 17-year-old boy. Looking down the line of men, seeing they were ready, the commander spoke. "Ok. On three, I'll open the door and run for the building to our left. After that, we'll switch between Alpha and Bravo moving. Charlie, keep the pressure on them." Another round of silent nods spread through the room, and Aang readied himself.

The commander placed his hand on the knob, and began counting. "One……two…" A rustle spread through the room as Charlie squad shouldered their weapons. "Three!" As the old man threw the door open, Aang felt the soldier playing dead in the square begin to move. The young man's heart stopped, and time seemed to freeze. Finally reacting, Aang reached for the commander, as the older man stepped into the open doorway. "No Wait!" Aang yelled, moving to stop the commander.

Aang froze in horror as the commander's blood sprayed across his face.

As the next man in line dragged the wounded soldier behind cover, something in Aang snapped. A primal rage spread through him, something he'd never felt before. It was so powerful it was like Aang couldn't see or think anymore.

Without thinking, he snatched up the commander's fallen rifle, and stormed through the doorway. The soldier on the ground was busy reloading when Aang advanced upon him, pumping round after round into the rebel's helpless body. Everything disappeared from Aang's world. It was only him, and the man Aang was bearing down on.

Even though Aang had felt the rebel's heart stop, he kept firing until the rifle clicked empty. He stood panting over the mangled body, blood dripping from the awful wounds he had inflicted upon it.

Aang recalled a night, years ago, when he had sat around a campfire with the other soldiers in his unit. He remembered asking them what was the first thing you felt when you killed someone. They had all laughed and responded in unison "the recoil of your rifle". The laughter had died quickly though, and the men just looked down into the fire in solemn silence before leaving for their respective tents.

Here, standing above the first man Aang had killed of his own will, Aang felt only a sickening satisfaction as the pool of blood spread across the ground.

Suddenly, a crack rang through the night as a sniper round grazed Aang's arm. Rage pumped through him again, as the rebels attempted to interrupt his triumph. Aang discarded the empty rifle, and fell into an earthbending stance. Raising his fists above his head, he dropped into a crouch as he slammed his elbows into the ground. The buildings across the street immediately began collapsing as Aang destroyed their foundations.

The snipers neutralized, Aang returned through the doorway. The scene that greeted him was grim. He could feel his stomach churn as a parade of horrors met his eyes. Several medics were screaming orders, trying to patch up their commander's wounds, as others watched in silent horror. Aang crouched beside the commander, who was now shaking on the ground, trying hard not to scream as the medics tried to stop the bleeding. He didn't want to look, but Aang couldn't tear his eyes off the horrible wounds spilling the commander's life away. The young airbender looked helplessly at the medic next to him. The medic just shook his head.

With obvious effort, the dying man opened his mouth and spoke. "Aang….c-come closer…" Aang leaned in next to his face, and shuddered as the man breathed his last words into his ear. Leaning back, he could see the medics had given up. Aang just focused all his attention on the shuddering vibrations coming through the floor, drinking in the feeling of the commander's last heartbeats. Dreadfully they slowed, until, to Aang's horror, they stopped completely.

Aang stayed crouching there, fists balled, as the gravity of what had just happened hit him. He couldn't tell if his mind was racing or if he wasn't thinking at all. Finally, the young man broke the grim silence in the room.

"Get out." He muttered, still crouching on the ground. A few soldiers muttered confused remarks, and the medic next to him looked down at Aang. "Avatar, what do you mean?" As Aang's tattoos began their characteristic glow, Aang spoke with the authority of a thousand Avatars before him. "Leave the city. Now." The surreal sound of his voice stunned the men in the room.

The sergeant in charge shook himself out of it, and then reached for his radio. "Uh… this is Baker platoon… Advising all units to get the fuck out of here ASAFP! Nomad is about to lose it, and he doesn't want any friendly casualties. I repeat, _Loose Cannon! Immediate evacuation imperative!_" He dropped the radio from his shaking hands and stood up. "You heard me, run for the wall!" The men exploded into action, hastened by the urgency in their new commanding officer's voice. They all knew what "loose cannon" meant.

As the men funneled out of the building, Aang dove deep inside himself. He felt the power, the knowledge, and the energy that was the Avatar spirit. As the Avatar stood up, he drew the spirit out from inside himself, and felt it swell within him like never before. Aang walked out into the courtyard in a strange daze. All his senses were overwhelmed in a state of hyper-awareness as a thousand minds worked with the will of one.

He approached the buildings he had collapsed, and became aware of several beating hearts deep inside. Aang was becoming more and more lost to his primal feelings, and to the enraged spirit that was swirling though his consciousness. He leveled his palms above the wreckage, and with not one thought but a thousand, engulfed it in a sickening inferno. The blaze crackled as screams pierced the night, and everything began to blur to Aang. He was losing more and more pieces of himself to his rage. Before he knew it, Aang was almost completely lost to the spirit, his mastery of the Avatar state leaving him.

The last thing Aang remembered, before relinquishing himself to the spirit, was a loathsome pleasure derived from the horrifying screams coming from the rubble.

As consciousness left him, Aang finally awoke from his nightmare.


	7. Left & Leaving

Yay, it didn't take me forever. Now you finally get a taste of this whole lame musical inspiration thing. Didn't really expect any of you to spot a song by The Weakerthan's since they're not exactly well known. If you like punk rock, alternative, folk rock, or Indie, they're for you since they combine all the elements. Not all of it is punk though, so don't let that scare you away. Check em out on youtube, or better yet, buy an album. Without Mythologies is off their second album, Left & Leaving (I also took chapter name from the album). I suggest listening to it so you can get an idea of what it sounds like.

Again, another big thanks to Anson. Saved me from some crappy sentences.

Also, I know I don't have access to a scanner at the moment, but I'm willing to take requests for drawings for my fan fic. I'm not an expert or anything, and i'm out of practice, but give me something relatively simple (No four elemental bending whilst unloading a rifle into the side of a fire nation tank, i'm not that good) and i can give it a shot. Won't guarantee it, but if there's more than one request i'll try and do it.

Anyways, enough of me thinking i'm popular enough for you to give a shit about this story and anything else aside from reading it. The next chapter awaits.

Behold.

* * *

Aang did not jerk awake like he used to. He'd had this nightmare too many times. The young man took a few moments to gather himself. His breathing slowed, his heart settled, and he cleared his mind of the remnants of the awful memory.

As the airbender slowly opened his eyes, he could see the moon shining through the branches of the tree he was sleeping in. He glanced side to side, making sure no one was in the street below. It was the middle of the night, and the sky was pitch black. Aang stood up and grabbed his bags from the branch next to him before soundlessly dropping to the ground below.

The young man crossed the street and headed towards a small two-story house. Even in the dark Aang knew where he was going. Placing his bags on the ground, he bent a stream of air that carried him to the second story balcony. Without making a noise, he walked up to the glass door and peered in. Most of the room was dark, but a small lamp cast enough light to reveal a young woman had fallen asleep at her desk.

Katara.

Aang sighed as he let his eyes rest on her still form. She was no longer the young girl he'd left so long ago. Over the years he had been gone she had matured into a striking young woman, yet somehow managed to retain that innocent beauty she carried as a girl.

As he stared at her sleeping form, his emotions began to battle inside of him. For the most part he was angry and hurt. She was the person he depended on for support, the rock in his life, and she'd turned on him when he needed her most. Perhaps it had been foolish of him to expect things to be the same after four years, and perhaps he hadn't exactly opened up to her, but that didn't change facts.

Aang was also confused. Instincts told him that he should hate Katara for what she had done. But behind all that anger and resentment he felt towards her, Aang was sure of something.

He still loved her.

It was a withdrawn love, hurt and taken aback, reduced to a shadow of it's former self, but it was still there. Aang knew he couldn't hate her, as much as he wanted to.

Life was cruel, however, and while the years had turned her into an even more attractive young woman, they had also turned her into someone that no longer needed Aang. He wasn't sure if she even understood him anymore. That was what hurt the most.

He didn't have many people in his life. She was the one he had been closest to, and now she was the one he was farthest from. Instead of sticking around, which was the equivalent of twisting your finger in an open wound to Aang, he had decided to do what he had always done best.

Run away.

* * *

Katara slowly awoke from her sleep. She started to sit up when a pain in her neck told her she'd fallen asleep at her desk again. Rolling her neck and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she looked around to see what time it was. Outside, light was starting to return to the sky, but it was still a deep navy blue.

The young woman frowned as the dream she had been having started to creep beyond the edges of her mind. She tried to hold on to it, tried to remember what it was about. Had someone been crying? Her frown deepened when that part came back. She had indeed dreamt of someone crying. Or had she? The sound had been too real to be sure.

Walking up to the balcony, she slid the door open, breathing in the crisp morning air. It was late autumn, so the cold morning forced her to turn around and head back inside. As Katara reached for the sliding door, her hand froze over the handle.

The drowsy woman wasn't positive, but she swore she could see the fading outline of two hands that had been pressed against the glass.

She rubbed her eyes again, forcing herself to wake up more, before looking at the door again. The handprints were gone, but she couldn't tell if they had faded away or simply had never been. Sighing, she sat back down at her desk. She was tired, but had woken up too much to go back to sleep, so she went back to what she had been doing before she fell asleep.

Katara unfolded the piece of paper that was sitting on her desk. She must have read the note Aang had left her a hundred times, but it still sent chills up her back. She skipped to the end.

To most people, it just looked like a strange way to sign a note, perhaps implying everything that it said was the truth. Katara knew it was more than that.

"Without Mythologies" was a song that Aang used to play around the campfire 5 years ago, while they were still trying to stop Ozai. They had all loved it when Aang played and sang for them, but this song was different than the others he played. They both knew that he sang it for her.

Going over the lyrics in her head, she tried to decipher what Aang was trying to tell her. The entire song was already metaphorical, making it hard enough to interpret what the writer was trying to say, but it was Aang she was trying to understand. He always loved music that spoke meaning to _him_, beyond what the songwriter intended.

It was obviously a sad love song, speaking of unrequited love or a troublesome relationship. Standard writing for any song, but it was the metaphors that let her know it was more than that for Aang. The entire song alluded to the wind and to the rain and snow, their respective elements.

The part that confused her was that though the song was at times bitter, it was still loving. The ending in particular stood out to her.

_If I could I would make you a raging river,  
with angry rapids, supplied with rain,  
so you could always meander  
and forever be able to run away  
without contending with myths wrongly interpreted, with pain.  
A harsh wind._

Ever since Aang had first played the song, Katara had known from this part that he loved her. It surprised her that no one else had picked up on that, but then again, no one else had really listened as closely as she had. She'd always figured he meant that he would do anything for her, even let her go, letting her decide what she wanted.

Now, it didn't quite seem the same. Contending with wrongly interpreted myths and pain is exactly what she was doing. Even more puzzling, none of it told her where he might be. Frustrated, she shut off the lamp and crawled into bed.

The only thing she figured out by the time she fell asleep, was that _a harsh wind _obviously meant Aang was angry.

* * *

By the way, the handprint thing is totally metaphorical. I'm sure none of you spotted that, 'cause i totally didn't even do that intentionally. That's how awesome I am. Except not.


	8. A Good Place to Start

Sorry it's been so long, but i got super busy working. Unfortunately, i think this might be closer to my update times once school starts. Maybe more, maybe less.

Anyways, i know not a lot happens here in terms of intensity here, but there's a lot of allusion as to what's to come. Also, i started writing different, especially since this is a major chapter of self reflection for Aang. I needed to delve into his conciousness more, and i think i like this. I'm not very good at this style (i'm not very good at writing in general ^^) but i'm going to keep practicing with it. Hope you all liked it.

A/N After second posting: for all of you who've already read this, I totally fergot breaks weren't carried over from microsoft word, so there was supposed to be a cut off right after toph introduces her roomates. Sorry about the confusion, and thanks anson for letting me know ^^; hope it's more clear there was a time gap between Toph and the last bit.

* * *

Aang just stood at the doorway. He hadn't really known where he was going when he left Omashu, but he knew he needed some time to himself. All the feelings and pain, all the years of hiding behind his optimism, everything he'd kept bottled inside himself was finally bubbling over.

He'd always tried to live as peacefully as possible, not just with himself, but with the world. He'd followed the monks' teachings, striving for spiritual serenity and enlightenment. Even when he stepped into his role as the Avatar, he hadn't compromised his beliefs.

Never had he asked for compensation, never had he expected some great reward for his work, since, not only was it his duty, but it was his choice. But he had never expected the world to turn around so quickly and bare it's fangs at him the way it did.

It was an odd sense of betrayal. He felt, what? Entitled to happiness? Like he deserved it? Then what did that mean? That the universe had turned around and backstabbed him after all those years of servitude to the world, both as the Avatar and as a monk? Did the universe throw that soldier in Aang's rifle sights and pull the trigger?

Aang sighed. No, that was him. He remembered it, how it felt to take that man's life. The choice had been his, and he'd chosen to kill. The sensation, even now, was still foreign to him. It was such an incomprehensible thing for him to even consider, so outrageous, yet at the same time, felt uncomfortably natural. The result left him feeling ill at ease with himself, not comfortable with what he'd done or who he'd become.

In all honesty, Aang didn't really know who he was anymore. He couldn't really call himself a monk anymore; he'd violated the belief that all life was sacred. Normally, he'd share all his feelings with his friends, but he was afraid of what they'd say. Aang hadn't told them what he'd done.

After he'd blacked out that night, he'd made his way through the desert in the Avatar state. No one really knew what happened; satellites were blocked by a massive sand storm. The closest thing Aang had to memories of that time were feverish dreams of fire and sand billowing around him, the kind you woke up from in a cold sweat. Despite this, he knew he had willingly let himself go to that place in himself, and that scared him. Out of this fear, Aang had decided he was not fit to be the Avatar.

This is where Aang was left, hurt and lost in the world without a place. He wasn't a monk anymore, and he wasn't the Avatar either. Even being just an airbender was a stretch, since his monkhood was such a key part of airbending. It was in this way that Aang had decided to start all over again.

He went back to the nomadic ways he'd known before finally settling down in the southern air temple. Following roads with no clear destination, reflecting on who he was and what he should be, the airbender wasn't sure how long he wandered the earth kingdom. Autumn turned to winter, dead leaves were replaced with snow, and the forests, once full of life, were quiet and somber. For days he went without speaking to people, left only to his inward reflection and the crunch of snow under his feet. To the rest of the world, it seemed like the Avatar had vanished once again.

While his journey had been seemingly random, part of Aang knew he was always heading this way, though without really meaning to. Once he had found himself at the great wall of Ba Sing Se, there hadn't been a question about it. He made his way through the sprawling metropolis, blending in immediately.

At first he had been worried that someone would recognize him, though he wasn't sure why that would be a problem. However, after an hour in the city, it was clear the hair that was now growing out of his head hid his arrow enough to conceal his identity, as long as he didn't shake it out of the way. Even if someone thought he looked similar, it was impossible for him to be the Avatar without a tattoo.

As Aang walked through the city streets, he was greeted with a strange feeling of belonging, not to _where_ he was, but rather _who_ he appeared to be. For the first time since he was 12, he was actually just another person. No one expected him to be a spiritual giant, or a life saver, or anything, really. He felt free of his duty, free to be who he wanted to, free to rediscover and reshape himself.

It was while pondering this revelation that Aang found himself here. Upon arriving though, he found he was at a loss of why exactly he'd come here. Was it simply because it seemed like something to do? Did he crave the familiarity? Did he even want to be here? Regardless, he impulsively leaned forward and knocked loudly three times. Voices could be heard inside, obviously arguing over who had to come answer the door. Finally, after a few stomps and an audible grumble, Aang could hear someone approaching the door.

As a young woman opened the door, Aang found himself grinning the way he used to. Clearly she didn't quite know who it was, so Aang decided to answer he unvoiced question.

"I seem to remember you saying you needed my help?" he said with false conceit.

The woman's dull eyes widened as realization hit her.

Toph lunged forward, wrapping Aang in a tight hug. She had grown over the years, but had still remained shorter than average, leaving Aang a good head and a half taller than her. He returned the hug, surprised at how at home he felt all of a sudden. He hadn't talked to many people for a long time, let alone spent time with them, but Toph seemed... he wasn't too sure, but safe was the word that came to mind.

"Aang, it's been too long. You never came to visit after we welcomed you back at the airport," his old earthbending master said as she pulled herself away from him. "I can't believe I didn't recognize you, you've grown so much!"

"Sorry," he said with another grin, "got busy with school." It was a lie, they both knew it, but that didn't matter. He was here now, and he was going to make the most of it.

"Well, come on in. I assume by the bag that you're going to be staying here?" Toph said, beckoning Aang to come inside. The house was built of earthen walls, like most earth kingdom buildings, which would be the expected residence of a woman who saw through earthbending. She quickly showed him to the guest room he could use, and gave him a tour of the house.

It was fairly quaint place, leaving a homely feel. Simple thought it was, it was by no means run down. Enough luxuries were present that the place was quite comfortable, showing Toph's disdain for her wealth wasn't quite as strong as she might like to believe.

Finally, she came to the living room, where two people sat. One was clearly an earth kingdom native, a young man not much older than Aang. The other must have been his age, but her clothing and pale skin made it obvious she was an immigrant from the fire nation. Toph motioned to the occupants of the room.

"These are my roommates, Haru and On Ji." She said to Aang, then turned to face her friends. "I told you he'd come."

* * *

Aang looked at himself in the mirror with a satisfied grin. After a few more weeks, his hair had finally been long enough to cover the arrow on his forehead, as well as on the back of his neck. However, since he didn't want someone catching a glimpse of it through his hair, he'd had to find a way to make sure no one noticed. To do this, he'd dyed his hair a mixture of different shades of blue, effectively concealing the arrow as just another part of the colouring among the navy blue and the turquoise.

The young man smiled, something he'd started doing again. Though Toph didn't know it, Aang couldn't have been happier with these circumstances. Because he couldn't just hide his physical appearance to hide his identity, he had taken up another name. The airbender had chosen his old friend Kuzon's, since his pale skin would betray him as a water tribe or earth kingdom citizen. He had once hated having to hide his identity, but now it seemed like the perfect way to discover who he was.

Running his fingers through his hair, he felt like this was a good start. He was still hurt, despite the time since he'd left Omashu, and he was still lost, but this seemed like ground zero. He could begin again here.

The smile had left Aang's face, the unpleasant memories stripping him of his glee. He had spent a lot of time thinking about what had happened between him and Katara, how he felt about it, about her. Anger was not a feeling he felt anymore; he was left only hurt and hollow, as if there was a space that needed filling.

He turned his back to the mirror, and looked at the room that was now his. Aang knew he wasn't going to understand his feelings right now, so he decided to surround himself with reminders of them, like keys to a puzzle that would slowly fit together in front of him.

The young man walked up to the walls and started to write.


	9. I've Finally Found You

Hey guys, again, sorry for the wait but this was a bit of a tricky chapter for me. My friend who's been following this and proof reading (you may have noticed numerous shout outs to Anson, that's him...) mentioned he didn't realize there have been a couple time jumps. So if i wasn't clear, after Aang leaves Omashu he is gone for most of winter, and only arrives in Ba Sing Se in the last few weeks.

Now, there's been about a 6 month or so time skip from when Aang arrived at Toph's, as it's now Summer. SO THERE! If that's not clear enough, there's nothing i can do.

Also, you really should listen to the song I used the lyrics for and tried to describe. It's an awesome song by an awesome band, but they're not well known so the only way you can listen to it is to google the song and band name (search : Versus Deseret) and MP3 sites should come up. That, or search "The Stars Are Insane" in itunes store. You can either listen to 30 seconds of Deseret, buy the song for a buck, or get the album there.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the song choice, at least for the lyrics. I wanna see how many people listened to the song. A simple "listened, liked" message would suffice.

Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter, and keep those reviews coming.

* * *

Katara walked into her room, dropped her bag on the floor, and flung her exhausted body on her bed. Summer finals were approaching, and days at school were filled with mock tests, while nights at home she spent cramming the year's curriculum into her head. Even though she didn't bother studying for her waterbending course, she had trouble with sciences and math since she lacked the base level education, and that kept her up late every night. She didn't mind though, as keeping busy had become a habit. At first it kept her mind off Aang, and eventually it just stuck.

Rolling on her back, the young woman let herself have a few moments of rest before breaking out her books. As usual, her thoughts drifted to Aang, but there was no unbearable sorrow. She had stopped crying a long time ago. After the months he'd been gone, all that was left was a deep ache calling out for forgiveness.

Katara sighed, then got up. There was nothing she could about this. She hadn't found any clues in his letter, and he hadn't contacted her, so he obviously didn't want to be found. Reaching for her bag, she shook the books out onto her desk, and grabbed her planner. Flipping to today's date, she realized all she had was a waterbending mock test tomorrow, and review in all her other classes. This meant she could take the night off, though the young woman knew she should stay on top of her work.

Changing out of her school uniform, she slipped into her water tribe clothes. She may get strange looks for wearing such old fashioned clothing, but she grew up in the water tribe, and always felt at home in her traditional outfit. Besides, Katara didn't really understand the "modern" world's obsession with fashion. And it wasn't like her clothes were ugly or anything.

Finally ready, she walked downstairs and grabbed a piece of paper and pen. Sokka was still at work, so she left him a note telling him where she was.

_Sokka,_

_Went out to the river, don't have any studying to do tonight. I'll be home later_

_Love, Katara_

Katara left the note on the fridge, which she knew would be Sokka's first stop when he got home, so he was sure to see it. Satisfied, she made sure she had her keys in her bag, then walked out the door, locking it behind her.

The river wasn't far outside Omashu's walls, and after hopping into a passing delivery cart, reached the city gates in a couple minutes. A brisk, 20-minute walk, and the sound of trickling water reached the waterbender's ears.

Katara eagerly increased her pace, almost jogging to the water. There were no large bodies of water in the city, so this was the only nearby place she could bend freely. Usually, she made it down here a couple times a week, but her studies had kept her away for almost a month now. As the river came into view, Katara sighed. It was a bit small, a stone's throw across and only slightly too deep to touch the bottom with your toes, but it was beautiful. The silvery water was pristine, and flowed calmly.

The waterbender put her bag on the ground, and started wading out into the water. It was just a little bit cool, which was perfect in the summer sun. When it reached her knees, she raised her hands, and pulled a glob of water the size of a watermelon into the air.

She began clearing her mind of all thoughts, letting the feel of the water rising and falling put her into a trance. Slowly, she moved the ball in a circular motion in front of her, moving it away, then bringing it closer to her.

As she increased the speed of the ball's revolutions, she bent it around her in an orbit, like the moon around the planet. The push and pull she felt from the sphere was mesmerizing, and soon her eyes were closed, everything but the water lost to her.

As she swayed her arms in front of her, pulling the ball around her, the river begged to be bent, calling out for her will to shape it. Complying, she pulled another stream of water and bent it into the already orbiting ball, creating an entire ring of water spinning around her.

Now she swung her entire upper body around her waist, leaning forward and back as she moved in a circle. As the amount of water around her increased, she felt the river lower to her shins, then her toes, until she stood on dry ground.

Fully entranced, she let her meditative state take the wheel of her thoughts. Images began flashing in her mind.

Her mother.

Her father.

A boat sailing away.

An iceberg.

Aang.

Her mind held the boy before her for a few moments. He appeared exactly as he had when she had first found him, young and innocent, eyes wide and grinning like a mad spirit. Before she could fully enjoy seeing her old friend happy again, another figure started appearing besides the young boy.

At first she thought it was Sokka, as the figure was tall and thin. But as his features gained more definition, it was clear it was not her brother. The young man's bald head and tattoo's gave him away.

Clearly, this was how Aang appeared today, or at least last time Katara had seen him. Standing next to his younger self, it was shocking how much he had grown. He now stood a little less than 6 feet tall, though he was almost as thin as he used to be. However, aside from their clothing and size, it was his face that had changed the most.

All the baby fat had left his face, leaving him with a defined jaw line and a thin face. He was no longer beaming, either. Instead, his eyes were half lidded and downcast, his lips pulled into a thin line. It was his eyes that disturbed her the most.

No longer did they contain that youthful gleam, full of curiosity and life. No, his eyes looked like they came from someone else. Underneath his gray orbs, dark circles gathered, and the muscles were slightly pinched, as if he was disappointed in something. Someone?

Standing side by side, the two Aang's were eerily similar, and yet so different. It was almost heartbreaking how fragile the little boy looked next to his older self. Even though it was hard seeing how much Aang changed, it was nice just to see him again. Before Katara could continue to drink in his features, the Aangs faded away, almost as quickly as they had appeared.

Slowly her mind pulled her back into her body, and Katara became aware of her surroundings. Though it seemed like she had spent a long time in meditation, she was sure it had only been half a minute at most. Her body was only just starting to get sore from bending the river around her.

The waterbender began easing the water back into the river, making sure not to create a massive wave by letting it all go at once. Once the river had been returned to its usual state, Katara picked up her bag and slowly made her way home.

Deciding to take a more scenic route, the young woman began to mull over her visions. Strangely, seeing Aang, especially in such a stark contrast to his younger self, didn't upset her. She missed him more than usual, but there wasn't any sharp pain in her chest.

More than anything, she wanted to give her friend a hug, to make him feel better.

Finally, she got to her street and turned onto her block. Sokka's car was in the driveway, so he must've gotten back from work. As she pushed the front door in, she could hear music being blasted. Peering into the doorway, she could see Sokka slouching at the computer, his head bobbing up and down slightly with the beat of the music. She knocked on the doorframe, and Sokka jumped a little in his chair before turning around. He paused the music and motioned for her to come in.

"Hey, Katara, check this out," he said as he tossed her a CD from the desk. Written on the blank disc in thick black felt were the words "Blind Element."

Katara threw her brother a questioning glance, prompting him to explain.

"It's Toph's band, stupid. She finally got it started late last year, and recorded them playing some stuff. She says they don't have any original material yet, but they play a lot of covers. Here, listen." He opened up the music player program, and scrolled through the list of songs. She could see on the monitor it was called "Deseret", by Versus, but she'd never heard of the band before.

The music rose in slowly, a driving rock beat accompanied by a catchy guitar riff and punchy bass line. Just as the volume reached its peak, the distortion cut out, and the riff changed into a calmer note progression. The result was a slightly anti-climactic feel, leaving you craving more of the energetic guitar. After a couple more bars, the vocals came in, sung by a young man, in a strangely familiar voice.

_The desert sun will take my body,_

_Cleanse me of the dirt that covers me_

_So I can breathe all right,_

_All right? _

_If you leave today,_

_Will you take care of my things; send 'em to me,_

_Just put 'em on a plane to Deseret,_

_All right?_

The desperate tone of the man's voice sent chills up Katara's spine, but she still couldn't figure out where she'd heard the voice before. Before she could figure it out, the chorus broke in, this time clearly accompanied by Toph's voice.

_Deseret…_

_Deseret…_

_Deseret…_

_Deseret…_

The distortion kicked back in, the song's intensity returned, and the two vocalists belted out a couple more "Deseret" before the volume began to drop and the song ended. Hearing the man yell like that, Katara immediately realized where she'd heard the man's voice before. Eyes wide with realization, she ran upstairs into her room, threw some clothes into her travel bag, then ran back into the office.

Sokka was still sitting in the chair, but was now staring at Katara, obviously wondering what possessed her. Before he could ask, Katara lunged for the keys Sokka left on the desk, grabbed the CD Toph had sent them, then dashed out of the room.

"Katara! What are you doing?" He called after her, stumbling out of his chair as he tried to follow.

"I'm taking the car; I'll be back in a few days!" She yelled back as she pulled her shoes on.

"You have school!" She could hear him untangling himself from the chair, so she hurried up before he could stop her.

"Call and say I'm sick then!" Quickly she ran out the door and slammed it behind her. She jumped into the driver's seat, locked the doors, and adjusted the chair so she was more comfortable. She had gotten her driver's license a few years ago, but Sokka used the car a lot more than she did.

As she put the key into the ignition, Sokka came bursting out of the house and ran up to the car door, trying to pull it open. Katara unrolled the window a crack so she could hear him better.

"Katara, get the hell out of my car now! I have a date with Yue tomorrow!" Katara just smiled back at him, started the engine, and put the car into reverse.

Conceding defeat, Sokka stopped struggling with the door and hung his head.

"At least tell me where you're going?" He said in a defeated tone.

"I'm going to visit Toph. Tell Yue I'm sorry about your date!" She backed the car out of the driveway, and started down the road.

"You know I'm going to get you back for this, right?" Sokka called after her as she drove down the road. Grinning, Katara popped the CD into the car's CD player, and started to listen.

As she turned onto the highway, Katara gunned the car down the road. Although she was alone, she quietly muttered to herself.

"I've finally found you."

* * *

A/N: I know it's a pretty weak way of revealing the information like this (with Sokka just stating he has a date with her), but Yue hasn't died like in the show. It IS an AU. Don't expect everything to be the same from the series. My motives for there are yet to be disclosed.


End file.
